Page 155 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
“Not all of them,” Beren smiled. “We’re related by blood. Direct blood.”
He always liked to remind me that some of the blood which fueled him was coursing through my veins as well. The second I’d gotten my Blood Brotherhood powers–and I’d recovered from the shock and pain of the ritual–I’d tried to find the drops that tied me to Beren and rid myself of them. It had been impossible.
Not even magic could sever that ungodly tie that felt like a noose which tightened with each passing year.
“Barely,” I said. “My father was your step-brother.”
Beren shrugged, the peaks on his uniform shaking. When the monster moved, the world trembled. “Same father, different mothers, but I grew up with Miharel. It was the way back then.”
“From what I’m hearing–” I jerked my chin at Edrin. “–it’s still the way.”
“Can’t fight matters of the heart.” Beren chuckled. “Now, nephew, why did you call us here? You made it sound very urgent.”
It was.
Sylvester, may the gods bless his wings and beak, had returned last night, in record time, as if he wanted to show me he was in excellent shape.
The letter from Zandyr had been short and straightforward.
Desecrating the crater’s edge was a crime. The Blood Brotherhood army would march to my aid against the Northern Clans if the issue couldn’t be contained.
I appreciated the support, but with a looming war with the Serpents, the Blood Brotherhood couldn’t afford to spare a single soldier.
Even if it could, my mother had taught me that negotiation, a smile, or a well-spoken threat could save countless lives.
Here I was, in the place she’d hated as much as I, keeping her memory alive.
“Who dared smear blood on my crater?” I asked without a preamble.
Beasts didn’t understand logic and kindness.
The three of them remained silent.
So, most likely, all of them were in on it.
“I see,” I said. “You do know the repercussions for breaching my territory.”
More silence, this time brimming with a tension that wasn’t there a moment ago.
“Are you threatening us?” Lioran sneered.
“Yes.”
Edrin spit on the ground. “Miharel should have kept his seed in his balls.”
Beren raised a hand quickly, like brandishing a whip, and silenced him. The cheeriness had chilled on his face.
“Those are harsh words and harsher accusations," he said. “All of us signed the same treaty.”
“Then you know the consequences,” I said.
“Yes. Enough to not risk them.”
“Then who could have tried to desecrate Solkar’s Reach? Who could have known about the blood ritual?”
Not very well, either, but I wasn’t going to tell them about that.
I didn’t know where they’d heard the nugget of truth about blood, but they’d been desperate enough to try it.
